Mary urges parents to get their children vaccinated against Measles, Mumps and Rubella

Commenting on the rise in measles amongst young people, Wakefield MP Mary Creagh said:

“NHS figures show that almost as many people had measles in the first 4 months of 2011 as during the whole of 2010 and there are measles outbreaks in mainland Europe. The MMR vaccine is completely safe but we have an 88% rate for the MMR vaccination in Wakefield which is below the national average. Measles can be very dangerous for young children, mumps can leave young men infertile and rubella can cause babies to be born deaf and blind, so I would urge people to get their children and teenagers vaccinated before the summer holidays.”

Wakefield NHS is working hard to boost uptake of the MMR vaccine:

• Appointments for the MMR vaccine are sent directly to families at their home addresses from GP practices.

• Where parents are unable to attend a vaccine appointment they are encouraged to telephone/call into the surgery to rearrange the appointment.

• The majority of GP practices have extended their opening hours over the past two years to include evening and weekend appointments, making it easier for working parents to bring their child along for vaccination.

• The PCT works closely with health visitors and GP practices to identify those children who have not taken up the MMR vaccine. In this way the health visitor can re-contact them directly, answer any questions/concerns and encourage uptake of the vaccine.